Railroad-spike.



1. WHITE.

RAILROAD SPIKE.

APPLICATION HLED MAR.29. I915.

1,206,629. Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

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JOSEPH WHITE, OF PITTSBURG, KANSAS.

RAILROAD-SPIKE.

Application filed March 29, 1916.

To all whom it may 0012 cam:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH WHITE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Crawford and State of Kansas,have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Spikes, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in spikes of that type adaptedfor securing a rail upon a rail tie, and so designed to facilitate theengagement of the spike with both the base and head portions of suchrail. To this end, use is made of a spike having an apertured headadapted for engagement with the base portion of a rail for securing thelatter upon a rail tie, and a movable locking member provided with adepending pin for engagement in. the aperture of the head portion ofsaid spike for rotatably mounting the locking member thereon, and meansformed integral with the movable locking member for preventing thebreakage or displacement of the pin from the head of the spike.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel features, details of construction, and combination of parts whichwill hereinafter be more fully set forth, illustrated in "theaccompanying drawing, and pointed out in the appended claim.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a rail and tie, illustrating myinvention used in connection therewith; Fig. 2 is a top plan view, withthe head portion of the rail removed therefrom; Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of the spike; and Fig. a is a perspective view of the movablelocking member.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, in which likecharacters of reference refer to corresponding parts in the severalviews, 1 designates a rail, and 2 a rail tie.

My improved form of spike consists of a spike proper 3, and a movablelocking member 4.

The spike 3 comprises a shank 5 formed with a pointed lower extremity 6,whereby the shank of the spike may be driven in the tie 2, as shown. Ahead 7 is formed on the upper end with a prong 8, adapted to be drivenin the tie for retaining the head in engagement with the base 9 of therail 1, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The portion of thehead contacting with the base of the rail is formed with a cylindricalSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Serial No. 87,533.

opening 10, which extends vertically through the head.

The movable locking member at comprises an elongated shank portion 11.Formed on the lower end 12 thereof, and depending therefrom is acylindrical pin 13. It will be apparent from the drawing that when thismovable locking member is in active position, the pin 13 thereof isinserted in the opening 10 of the head 7 for movably and rotatablymounting the locking member 4 upon the head 7 of the spike proper. Thislocking member is swiveled with such head by offsetting the lower endthereof, indicated by the character 14, and by so doing, will preventthe displacement of the locking member from the head upon the bending ofthe locking member in engagement with the head of the rail, as furtherdisclosed in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The shank 11 of the movably lockingmember is provided with a head 15, including a laterally projecting lip16 adapted for engagement beneath the under surface 17 of the head ofthe rail. As before stated, when it is desired to lock the movablelocking member with the head 18 of the rail, the said locking member isrotated to bring the lip 16 in confronting relation with the web of therail, after which the same is bent to assume a vertical inclinedposition, and to bring the lip 16 to bear against the under surface ofthe rail head. The bending action of this movable locking member, placesconsiderable strain upon the pin 13, which is liable to break the pin,or withdraw such from the opening 10 of the head 8 of the spike proper,and to prevent the movable member being bent any more than is reallynecessary, I have provided the head 15 of the movable member with avertically extending projection 19, which abuts with the longitudinalside faces of the rail head, and prevents any further bending action ofthe movable locking mem her than is necessary to accomplish theengagement of the lip 16 with the head portion of the rail. Thisprojection is formed flush with the rear face 20 of the locking memberand at right angles to the lip, and extends beyond the plane thereof,thereby constructing the head 15 of the rail of substantially L-shapedconfiguration.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, the advantages of construction and of the methodof operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art towhich the invention relates, and while I have described the principlesof operation of the invention, together with the device which I nowconsider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that suchchanges may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claimappended hereto.

I claim:

A spike comprising an apertured head, provided with a shank forengagement with the rail tie, a locking member therefor, said lockingmember embodying a shank, a head formed on the upper end of said shankand including a horizontally extending lip, a pin depending from thelower end of the shank, and adapted to be inserted in the opening of thehead of the spike and swiveled therein,

said locking member adapted to be bent to assume an inclined positionfor positioning the horizontal lip thereof in binding engagement withthe under portion of the head of a rail, and a vertically extendingprojection formed integral with the head of the'locking member andextending at right angles to the horizontally projecting lip thereof,said projection adapted to engage with the longitudinal side edges oftherail head for pre venting the displacement of the pin from the head ofthe spike, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.V

JOSEPH WHITE. Witnesses:

LEO FRoHLIoH, H. W. ROGERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D 0 I

